Mechanical musical instrument



H. E. TOWER.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED 'MAY 2.1920.-

1,400,921. Patented Dec. 20, 1921.

M55555: f VE TU 44% wgw.

UN!TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERSCHEL E. TOWER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BALDWIN COMPANY,OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 20, 1921.

Application filed May 8, 1920. Serial No. 379,956.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERSOHEL E. TOWER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county ofHamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful'Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the followingis a specification.

The use of a vent or bleed for the return of a valve in mechanicalmusical instru ments is old and well known in the art, but it is alsowell known that such vents or bleeds have always caused more or lesstrouble from being stopped up with dust and lint, whereas the presentinvention performs the same function as the vent and has the advantagethat itcannot become clogged and there is no leak when the valve is on,as is the case with the regular vent.

Figure 1, is a view of a windchest with a cut-ofi' valve to cut-ofi theair from playing pneumatics on rewinding. Fig. 2, is a view of the samewith the cut-off valve thrown on in a rewinding position. Fig. 3 is adetail of the slide switch with a D valve set to cause the ventedcondition of the cut-off valve, Fig. 4 is the same as Fig. 3 with Dvalve set to cause the cut-off valve to act and cut-off the suction fromthe player action.

A windchest 1 having feeders 2 for causing suction to operate apneumatic action has a cut-01f valve 3 operated by a pouch 1 having asocket underneath for an air chamber.

The socket under pouch 4 is connnected by a tube 5 to a switch block 6through a D valve 7 to atube 8 and then to the constant air in windchest1.

When the switch valve 7 is set for forward playing as shown in Figs. 1and 3 the socket under the pouch is connected directly through to theair in the windchest 1 so that the tension is the same on both sides ofthe pouch thereby allowing the valve 3 to remain open and have suctionthrough the pipe 9 from the pneumatic action. When ready for rewindingthe switch valve 7 is set as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 allowing the port 10to be opened to the atmosphere which causes the pouch 4 to rise and withthe aid of valve 3 close off the suction from pipe 9 and the pneumaticaction. The valve 7 moves only far enough to allow port 10 to open andyet keep port 11 closed so that there is no leakage from the windchest.

By this arrangement it can be seen that instead of the small vent whichalways must be smaller than the port opening I have a positive vent thesame size as the port opening for playing, while for rewinding, thepouch 4 has the full power to lift the valve 3 caused by the atmospherethrough port 10 as there is no vent to leak.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a mechanical musical instrument; a pouch actuated valve; a socketunder said pouch; a suction chamber; air connections from said socket tosaid suction chamber, and mechanical means for connecting said socket tothe atmosphere and disconnecting said socket from said suction chamber.

2. In a mechanical musical instrument; a pouch actuated valve; a socketunder said pouch; a suction chamber; a switch block; air connectionsfrom said socket through said switch block to said suction chamber, andmechanical means for connecting said socket to the atmosphere anddisconnecting said socket from said suction chamber.

3. In a mechanical musical instrument; a pouch actuated valve; a socketunder said pouch; a suction chamber, a switch and D valve; airconnections from said socket through said D valve to said suctionchamber, and mechanical means for connecting said socket to theatmosphere and disconnecting said socket from said suction chamber.

HERSCHEL E. TOWER.

Witnesses:

PAUL J. Hanson, NORMA R. HARRIS.

